The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-04-23
WAS IT FATE'S DECREE.
why James T.. Blaine Feared thai lie
Would he Defeated.

NoUiN NC bCIcNNeu.
A New York special to Philadelphia
Times says: Those who were nearest
to James 6. Blaine in the canvass Of
1874, and who had his entire confidence
can bear evidence that there never WAS
a day or hour, from his nomination at
Chicago, in June, 1884, until the end
OF the campaign, on the first Tuesday
in November, that Mf. Blaine did not
believe he would he defeated. Many
who were not close in his confidence
can recati how despondentiy through.
out That canvass he would refer 10 the
similarity Of his political career To tina,
Of Henry C'ay-each beginning life US
schoolieacher, then II memher Of The
Legislature, Coneressman, Speaker OF
the House, Senator, and each defeated
twice for the presidential nomination,
and both nominated upon the third
trial of strength, and The manner
i'll which Blaine. would refer to the de-
feat Of Henry Clay, the idol of his par.
ty, by James *. Polk, a man almos,
unknown to the people at large, had Il
most depressing effect upon his friends.
But there was another matter that
deeply affected Mr.. Blaine, and con-
firlned him in the fatalstic fear that
the decree of fate made his defeat
absolutely certain.
a critical examination of the results
of presidential elections, such as per-
haps only Mr.. Blaine himself would
think Of making, showed him that up
Oh every occasion of a presidential
election the candidate whose name
ended with the letter "u" was elected,
and as this letter "n" theory Of Mr..
Blaine may play conspicuous part in
the campaign of next year, fatalists
and superstitious politicians would do
well to study the lesson Mr.. Blaine
has already learned. In 17SS, George
Washington, letter s'n" man. defea-
ted John Adams by an electoral vote
of 50 to "a, and in 1902 Washington
again beat Adams by vote of 1872 to
II. In 1904, as Thomas Jefferson and
Aron Burr each had Is electoral votes,
there was no election by the people,
and upon the thirty sixth ballot in the
House OF Representatives Thomas
Jefferson was elected. In 1905 Thomas
Jefferson and George Clinton defeated
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and
Rufus King by an electoral vote of 162
TO 14-in this case, the first in which
candidates for President and Vice
President were nominated and voted
for, the last letter of both the success
full candidates names ended with ;sn.''
In 1912 James Madison for President
and George Clinton for Vice President,
had 122 votes TO AZ each for G. G..
Pinckney for President and Rufus
was reelected four years later. Ia 1928
Andrew Jackson and John G. Cal,
houn, both names ending with "p,"
defeated John Quincy Adams and
Richard Rush for President and Vice
President by and electoral vote of ITS
to s3. In 1882 the candidates for
President were Andrew Jackson,
Henry Clay, John Floyd, and William
Writ, of Maryland, and the candidates
for Vice President were Martin Van
Buren,. John Sergeant, William Wat
kins, Henry Lee and Amos ElImaker,
and OF The 2SS electoral votes cast jack
son had 2l9 and Van Buren, 1S9, both
letter "n" fellows again winning.
In 1885 Martin Van Buren, defeated
William Henry Harrison by vote of
40 to 73, and Richard M. Johnson was
elected Vice President over Francis
Granger, John Tyler and William
Smith, of Alabama; but in 1910 Gen.
Harrison, defeated Van Buren, by a
vote Of 23f to 60. The next letter on"
candidate was James Buchanan, who
defeated John G.. Fremont and MilIard
Fillmore. In 1860 the candidates were
Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal
Hamiin-both letter nn' nomnees-
breckenridge and Lane, douglas and
johnson and Bell and Everett, and in
1864 Lincoln and Johnson against
Mcclellan and Pendlcton, all NAMES
ending with the letter "n,' the Re
pubitcaus winning by vote CT PIP to
81. The next letter "n'' candidate
was Samuel j. Ti!dnn, who defeated
Hayes before the people by a vote OF
1O2 to lG7, but which an electoral com
mission, with Senators Morton and
Frclinghuysen, both letter "n" stotcs,
men, changed to lS5 for Hayes to lSi
for Tildep. There have been no letter
Hn" candidates since 1876, and only
bad luck, death and defeat has a,ten-
dcd the Republican candidates since
then.
Soon after the nomination of Grover
Cleveland ! met James g. Blaine and
s,rotted with him frequently on the
banks OF the kennebec. On one of
these occasions, after he had been plan
ming industriously Tor hours TO secure
his election, he said in a tone Of des-
pondence that was painful: They call
me tho Henry Clay Of the Republican
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